Baikal Lake (Olkhon Island) & Mongolia

Hey Everybody!

Sorry to have kept you guys in the dark all this time. Traveling is time-consuming, especially if you meet so many great people or experience so many wonderful things as we have. Hope you are up for the stories behind it!

So the next morning we said goodbye to Alexandr and went to Sebastian's hostel for the trip to Lake Baikal. Finding it was like being a participant in the program "Peking Express", full of challenges. But we made it on time and after a 6 hours drive in a small mini-bus, an over-cross by ferry and another hour of driving we arrived at Nina's Hostel on Olkhon Island. First impression of the island: empty! Nothing but hills, dry nature and every now and then a sheep, horse or cow...amazing. Nina is a very nice and traditional lady, so Fleur and I got our own room and Sebatian was in the room next to us. The rooms look like little chalets in her backyard, so cute. There is no hot water and the toilet was (like so many places here) a hole in the ground, so it is back to the basics. In the evening we wanted to make traditional Dutch pancakes for Sebastian, so we tried to get the ingredients for it. Which, as I know now, is a real challenge if you cannot read the side of a pack or look what is inside...But we succeeded and the outcome was great! After dinner (oke, I admit, and a bottle of vodka) we went to the lake to go for a swim under the most starry sky I have ever seen...it was an amazing experience worth the cold (it was -2 outside and 8 in the water...). The next day we went on a boat tour to a Buddhistic Stupa and the Holy Springs. It started really calm and the weather was great, however phrase of the day was still: "It's so freezing cold"! After the lunch we got in different waters...There was suddenly a really strong and very cold wind which created waves of over 1 meter...on a lake?! Weird...but a lot of fun!! So while Sebastian and Fleur were inside, I was having the time of my life at the back of the boat watching the waves and trying not to get to wet. Later we found out that the specific wind that day came straight from the Northpole, no wonder it was cold! We enjoyed the famous Ohmul fish, freshly caught, and in the evening we went into the Banja (russian sauna). Seperatly of course, remember the 'Nina being traditional' part? ;-) On our last day we went hiking on the Island, and we had the best guide ever, Magical Mike. He showed us some good scenic views, took us for a stroll along the beach, lead us through a funny forest with really small and thin trees and let us lay in the sun on a sand field. And the only thing he wanted in return were cookies! By the way, did I mention that Magical Mike is a dog? We had a lot of fun and it was a great and relaxing day. The way back to Irkutsk was a bumpy ride with a really cool landscape, sometimes even with snow! We stayed at Sebastian's hostel for a few hours and then it was time to say goodbye. Really strange how someone can play an important role in your travel for a while, and then you go your separate ways. I guess that's part of traveling, but it feels weird.

When we got to the train that evening, we were like a smooth operating machine unpacking and settling our stuff. The train starts to feel like home! The part between Irkutsk and Ulaanbataar is suposed to be the most beautiful, but since we were there at night we decided to dream about it instead of gazing into darkness. Wen we got to the border the next day, we had to wait for almost 5 hours on the platform so we took a walk. However you do feel a bit foolish when you are at the end of the platform and suddenly your train gets really small...and of course you don't want to look like the tourist that know's about nothing, so you just walk along hoping it will come back soon. It did, and after 4 checks by Custom Control and 2 checks by policemen and dogs, we were allowed to cross the border into Mongolia.

On the 15th of September we arrived in Ulaanbataar at 6 am, thank god for free transportation from the train station offered by your hostel! First impression of Ulaanbataar: Dirty, smelly, smoggy and busy. Fleur and I looked at each other, deciding to go with a tour into Mongolia as soon as possible! We were lucky (like we have been all trip, loving it!) to be in a mini-van with others that also wanted to do a 5 day tour. So at the hostel we gathered more people, because the more people you have, the cheaper the price, and very quickly we had a really nice group. Sara and Emil from Sweden, Joska, Laurie, Fleur and me from the Netherlands, Agatha from Poland, Julian from Germany, Pavlo from Ukraine and Erico and Szjenya from Japan. Pavlo was a birthday-boy that day, so we had cake and vodka...at 10 am...and a birthday dinner/party in the evening, again with Dutch pancakes. They are becoming a hit and it was a great party! Next day we went on the tour into the countryside of Mongolia, which is beautiful. I have never seen so much no man's land as there. After a few hours on the highway, we took a more so called "natural road" to our first overnight stay in a Ger with a nomad family. After a bunch of explanations: Never step into a Ger with your left leg or stand on the doorway, always greet the people inside with "Sanbajo", never cross the middle of the Ger and women have to sit on the east side, we were allowed in the family Ger. Next we went on the camels and walked over sand dunes into Semi-Gobi dessert. Let me tell you one thing about camels: They are stubborn, have a will of their own and are kind of smelly...But crossing that dessert on such a wonderful animal made me feel the luckiest person in the world. You just feel so privileged that you can be there, at that time...it is difficult to describe. In the evening we got to taste horse milk, which I do not recommend to anyone, unless you can drink it with green tea. After out first night in the Ger (I was so happy with my air mattress) we drove to a volcanic valley to have lunch next to a small lake, and then to a really nice waterfall with a drop of 24 meters. However, it falls in what looks like a hole in the landscape. It is difficult to describe, you just have to see the pictures. Walked around for a bit with Sara and then climbed back up to go to our next stay, with the Horse master. When we arrived at his place we got a traditional Mongolian meal, which was a whole goat, chopped in (big!) pieces and cooked. So we went back to middle ages eat wise, with our hands and teeth..omnomnom. The next day we were appointed to our horses and then the fun could begin! I think I have never ridden on a horse this small, it was hilarious. Thankfully they are really strong, so it was no problem. We went through waters, hills, fields, it was amazing! When we were on our way back, there suddenly was a thunderstorm coming down the mountain, so we had to race back to the Ger as fast as we could, so much fun!! In the evening we made our own version of the youtube hit "Harry Potter Puppet Pals", as soon as I have the movie, it will be on the site. Our last day we spend visiting a Buddhistic Monastery and school for young monks with beautiful statues and painting and 148 stupa's, as well as a museum and the oldest capital of Mongolia (it sounds more impressive than it was, trust me). Outside the museum there is a penis shaped statue, stating that it was meant to keep the young monks away from the temptation of girls living on the hills. Nowadays, it is said that if a women sits on the statue, she will get a boyfriend of husband within 1 year. Fleur sat on it, so I'm curious to see what will happen. When we were on our way to our last Ger, we suddenly heard a bang and Sara said: "Hey, there goes a tire!". Before we new it, the mini-van went very slantwise and dug itself into the slope next to the road. Fortunately, both our drivers were also mechanics, so before we new it everything was fixed and we could continue our journey. The whole group slept in 1 Ger, very cosy, and after a nice walk in the surrounding area collecting 'dung' (=poo) for the family (they use it to start the fire in the Gers) we had to go back to Ulaanbataar. Which looked even more busier and dirtier than when we left. At the hostel I had the best shower ever, not so difficult after 5 days of not showering or properly wash yourself, and we had to pack our backpacks for the next morning. This Mongolian tour was amazing, also because we had a fantastic group!

The next morning we said goodbye to everyone, it still feels weird but we would see Sara, Joska and Emil again in Beijing, so that was oke. The part between Ulaanbataar and Datong goes through the Gobi dessert, which makes the train ride interesting at first, but after a few hours it gets somewhat boring. Thankfully, our coupe partners Wiebe and Jojanneke (really nice couple from the Netherlands) had 'Kolonisten van Catan' so that was a good way to let time pass by. At the border we had to stay in the train, while it was arranged in a big hangar and lifted so that the chassis of the train could be switched. This time we only had 1 passport boarder control and after that we were allowed into China! So far, I can recommend the Trans-Mongolian route to everyone who wants to travel to China. It is an easy way to connect with fellow travelers and much more adventurous and comfortable then any other way of transportation.

That was it for now, Fleur will tell you more about our adventures in China so far. I hope you enjoyed it, the pictures will come online as soon as possible!

Miss you all, Big Hug for everyone!

Janneke